Wrench for latch-handle fasteners



April 23, 1929. 1 OTTNGER WRENCH FOR LATCH HANDLE FASTENERS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 15, 1928 .INYENTOR @6% 13 ATTORNEY QJ. m l A Z Paten-ted Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES LEON OTTINGER, 0F NEW YORK', N. Y.

WRENCH FOR LATCH-HANDLE FASTENERS.

Application filed Jl'anuary 13, 1928. Serial- No. 248,404.

This invention relates to an improved wrench for latch handle fasteners, and has for' its primary object and purpose to provlde a simply constructed` device whlch may be easily and quickly applied from the outer side of the door in attaching the operatlng handle to a latch rollback or detaching the same therefrom by means of a fastening device such as that shown and described in my co-pendinfv application for patent Serial No. 135,741, ljed September 16, 1926. v

In the application just referred to, the end of the handle shaft is rigidly connected with the rollback of the latch by means of a rotatable fastening element permanently mounted on the shaft end. It frequently becomes necessary to detach the operating handle from the latch, as in repainting the door, and 1t 1s the primary object and purpose of my present invention to provide means readily applicable from the outer side of the door and engageable with said fastening element without removing the upholstery on the inner side of the door which enables such attachment or detachment of the handle shaft with respect to the rollback to be easily and quickly effected. n

It is another object of the invention to pro vide a wrench device for the above purpose in the general form of an L-shaped plate, one angular part thereof having means to cooperate with the fastening element on the handle shaft, and the other part thereof being provided with means to co-act with a part of the latch at the front edge of the door whereby the wrench device will be properly retained in its applied position against vertical shifting movement.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved wrench device and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illus trated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated several desirable and practical embodiments of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the front edge portion of an automobile door illustrating the manner of fastening the latch handle shaft to the roll-back of the latch;

Fig. 2 is a similar horizontal section on an enlarged scale showing one embodiment of my improved wrench in its applied position before the handle shaft has been fastened to the rollback;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the operation whereby the end of the handle shaft is rigidly fastened to the rollback;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the wrench;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3

illustrating a slightly modied embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front edge elevation of the door and latch case as used in connection with the wrench shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view showing another modification of the device;

Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrating a further alternative form of the invention, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the form of Wrench shown in Fig. 8.

For the purpose of illustrating the application and use of my present invention, in the drawings I have shown a portion of an automobile door 5 upon the inner side of which the latch generally indicated at Gis mounted, said latch including the bolt 7 and the usual rollback 8 for retracting said bolt against the action of its proiecting spring. This rollback is journalled at its opposite ends in the spaced walls of the latch case and with the same the end of the shaft 10 of an operating handle 11 is adapted to be connected. For this purpose, the door structure is formed with a transverse opening 12 therethrough in line with the bore of the rollback 8, and at the outer end of this opening the supporting learing 13 for the handle is secured to the oor.

The rollback 8 has a rectangular bore in which the end of the shaft 10 of similar cross sectional form is adapted to be fitted. In this end of the handle shaft the shank 14 of a fastening element is rotatably and permanently mounted, the end of said shaft being provided with a rectangular head 15. This head is relatively thin and the edge faces thereof are of the same width as the faces of the end of the shaft 10. In spaced relation to the end face of the shaft, Said shaft is suitably provided with a plurality of stop lugs indicated at 16 adapted to abut against the outer end of the rollback 8 and thus position the head of the fastening element with respect to the other end of the rollback.

As fully explained in my co-pending application above referred to, when the handle shaft end is inserted in the bore of the rollback andthus effect a very rigid connection.

` between the shaft end and said rollback. This fixed relation ofthe parts is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The inner side of the door and of the latch 6 ,is covered by the upholstery material indicated at 17 which also extends over and completely conceals the fastening means for the handle shaft.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, 1t will be noted that the flange of the latch case wall which is secured to the front edge ofthe door 5 is rovided with an o ening 18 therethrough a ove the latch bolt My improved tool or wrench in this embodiment thereof, consists of an angular or L-shaped metal plate having the parts 19 and 20 thereof dlsposed in lsubstantially right angular relation to each other. The part 20 has suitably fixed thereto a rod 21 constituting a convenient handle and positioned at right angles to the plane of the part 19. This handle rod is formed with a reduced cylindrical stud 22 which projects from the inner face of the part 19 and is adapted to be fitted through the opening 18 in the flange of the latch case. The vertical end edge of said part'at its inner face is beveled or inclined as shown at 23 for bearing engagement against the inclined surface of the latch ease flange.

The other part 20 of the wrench preferably tapers longitudinally to a blunt end edge shown at 24 and is provided in its inner face with a horizontally extending recess or channel 25 ada ted to snugly receive the head 15 of the astening element.

In the application and use of the wrench device above described, it will be understood that when the end of the handle shaft is inserted through the bore of the rollback,'the head 15 of the fastening element is disposed as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings with its opposite parallel faces extending respectively horizontally and vertically -of the in ner face of the door. The mechanic then inserts the blunt edfre 24 of the part 20 of the wrench between the vertical edge of the upholstery 17 and the wall of the latch case and forces the same inwardly. The stud 22 being directed through the opening 18 in the flange of the latch case wall, acts as a guide and roperly positions the part 20 on the inner ace of the latch case so that the head 15 of the fastening element is received in the recess or channel 25, such movement being continued until the beveled end face 23 of the part 19 abuts against the latch case flange. The tool is thus sup orted b the engagement of the stud 22 t Vrough t e opening 18 against vertical displacement relative to the latch case. It will be ap arent that a wrench device of this kind can e readily litted and positioned by the mechanic from the outer side of the door, and necessitates the loosening of only a very small portion of the vertical ed e of the upholstery 17 from the wall of the atch case.

It is of course, understood that if desired the tool or wrench may be first applied in position as above ex lained and the handle shaft then inserted t rough the bore of the rollback so that the head 15 of the fastening element will be received in the recess or channel 25 of the tool.

After the tool has been thus applied, the operator then. rotates the handle throu h an arc of 90 so that the shaft will be positionedl as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Of course the rollback is rotated and the latch bolt 7 is retracted. The fastening element however, is held relatively stationary owing tothe engagement of its square or rectangular head 15 in the recess of the part 20 of the wrench. The wrench device is then removed and the latch handle released so that the latch bolt projecting spring will project the latch bolt and return .the handle to its normal position. The head 15 of the fastening element will assume the position shown in Fig. 1 with relation tot-he rollback and the end of the handle shaft when the latter is manually rotated, the corners of said head l5 ridin over the end edges of the bore in the roll ack and tightly binding against the end face of the rollback. In some cases a rigid connection can be made by rotating the handle shaft and rollback through an arc of only 45 or less which will be suiiicient to cause the corners of the head 15 to bite into the end face of the rollback at the edges of the bore. After the handle shaft has thus been fastened. in the rollback bore and the wrench or tool removed, the loosened 4edge of the upholstery 17 can then be again readily fixed to the face of the latch case.

In order to disconnect the operating handle from the rollback when necessary, it will be understood that the above operations are reversed. In other words, the handle is first rotated to retract the latch bolt and the opposite edge faces of the head 15 of the fastening element will thereby be disposed lhorizontally and vertically of the inner face of the door. AThe tool is then applied in position as above explained so that the head is received in the recess 25, and the latch hand-le and the rollback are thus rotated to normal position while the fastening element is held stationary so that the edge faces of the head 15 thereof will thereby be positioned in parallel relation to the walls of the bore through the rollback. The latch handle shaftwith the fastening element can then be readily withdrawn through the rollback bore.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a slightly different embodiment of the invention in which the part 19 of the wrench device is provided at the end thereof -which bears against the flange of the latch caser with an integral angularly extending handle portion 21 and adjacent to its other end said part is provided with vertically spaced studs one of which is shown at 22. The studs are of relatively small diameter and are adapted for engagement through vertically spaced openings 18 in the flange of the latch case wall. 'Ihe other part 20 of the wrench device is of the same construction as above described, and when the device is arranged in its applied position, the spaced studs or pins 22 engaging the latch case flange afford maximum stability so that thek device will be retained and supported in its applied position without requiring any positive manual pressure by the operators hand.

In Fig. 7 of the drawing, I have illustrated another alternative construction in which the part v191 of the wrench is provided with a rectangular opening 26 therethrough. As the other part of the wrench is fitted int-o position upon the head of the fastening member at the inner side of the latch case, the projecting nose of the latch bolt 7 is received through the opening 26. Thus the latch bolt cooperating with the upper and lower edges of the opening 26 will prevent vertical displacementof the wrench device by pressure of the head 15 of the fastening element against the upper and lower walls of the recess in the part 2O when the handle shaft and the rollback are turned or rotated.

In Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, I have illustrated another alternative embodiment of the invention in which the part 19 is provided with a single projecting pin or stud 22 having a transverse notch or recess 22al in one side thereof. In this instance, instead of providing the angularly extending part 20 having the recess therein, I form upon the end of the part 19 a relatively short angularly projecting arm 27. This arm is adapted to extend inwardly between the edge of the upholstery and the latch case wall as the stud 22 is fitted through the opening 18 in the flange of the latch case so that the end edge thereof will abut against the vertically extending .edge face of the head 15 of the fastening element. The notch or recess 22a is preferably on the lower side of the pin and the tool is then shifted downwardly so that thelatch case flange at the lower-'edge of the opening 1.8 will engage in this recess, and thereby cooperate with the'stud 22 to lock the tool in a fixed position relative to the latch case, and thus maintain the hearing pressure of the end of the arm 27 against the edge of the head 15 during the rotation of the handle shaft and the rollback whereby said -head of the fastening element assumes its locking or releasing position relative t0 the end of the handle shaft and the bore of the rollback. Thus, it will be evident that in this instance it is not necessary for the operator to maintain a manual pressure against' the tool in order to hold the same in its applied position against the pressure of the head 15 of the fastening element upon the end of the arm 27.

From the foregoiner description considered in connection with t 1e accompanying drawings, the several described embodiments of my present invention will be clearly and fully understood. It will be seen that I have devised a very simply constructed tool for use in connection with the handle fastening means disclosed in my co-pending application whereby the mechanic can easily, quickly and securel. f connect the end of the handle shaft with t e rollback or disconnect the same therefrom after the upholstery has been applied to the inner side of the door and over the latch case. Owing to the means which I. provide for insuring the accurate positioning of the tool with respect to the head of the fastening element, such application may be readily made from the outer side of the door, and wit-l1 the fastening means entirely concealed and invisible. Also as heretofore noted, the use and application of the tool or wrench in connecting or disconnecting the handle shaft requires the loosening of only a small section of the vertical front edge of the upholstery covering the inner side of the latcli case. It has been found in practice that a wrench of this type provides a very convenient and useful adjunct to the handle shaft fastening means disclosed in my prior application. In View of the very simple construction thereof, it is apparent that such a device can be produced at very small manufacturing cost.

While I have herein shown and described several practical and desirable embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the device might also be produced in various other alternative structural forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

. 1. A wrench device for use in connecting or disconnectingy an operating handle to or from the rollback of a latch mounted on the inner lili) side ofa door, comprising a member having 'a part to engagea fastening element rotatably/connected with the handle shaft and roc the rollback of a latch mounted on the inner side of a door, comprising a member having a part adapted for insertion between the edffe of upholstery covering the inner side of t e door and the latch, and said part provided with means to engage a fastening element rotatablyconnected With the handle shaft and projecting from the inner face of the latch to hold said elementstationary While the handle and rollback are rotated, and means carried by said member cooperating With a part of the latch to guide the device to its applied position with respect to the fastening element and prevent displacement thereof.

3. A wrench device for use in connecting or disconnecting van operating handle to or from the rollback of a latch mounted on the inner side of a door, comprising a member having a part to engage a fastening element rotatably connected with the handle 'shaft and projecting from thev inner face of the latch to hold said element stationary While `the handle and rollback are rotated, and a stud carried by said member engageable through an opening in a flange of the latch case secured to the edge of the door to guide the device to its applied position with respect to said fastening element and prevent displacement thereof.

ll. A wrench device for use in connecting or disconnecting an operating handle to or from the rollback of a latch mounted on the inner side of a door, comprising a member having parts extending in an'giilar relation toeach other, said member being applicable from the outer side of fthe door and one of said .parts extending uponthe inner side of the latch and having` means to engage a fastening element rotatably connected with the handle shaft to hold said element stationary While the handle and rollback are rotated, the other of said parts having means to engage a part-of the latch to guide the device to its applied position and prevent displacement thereof and said latter part having 'a bearing surface in spaced relation to said means for engagement with a flange of the latch case secured to the front edge of the door;

5. A wrench device for use in connecting or disconnecting an operating handle to or from the rollback of a latch mounted on the inner side of a door, comprising a member ment through an opening in a flange of the latch case secured to the ,front edge ofthe d oor to guide the device to its applied position and prevent displacement thereof, and

l said latter part in spaced relation to the stud adapted for bearing contact against the casf i ing flange.

6. A Wrench device for use in connecting or disconnecting an operating handle toA or from the rollback of a latch mounted on the inner side of a door, comprising a member having a part insertable from the outer side of the door between the edge of upholstery covering the inner side thereof and the latch, said part being provided with an open ended slot to 1eceivetlie head of a fastening element rotatably connected with the handle shaft and projecting from the inner face of the latch to hold said element stationary While the handle and rollback are rotated, and means carried by said member cooperating with a part of the latch to guide the device to its applied position With respect to the fastening element and prevent displacement thereof. i

7 A Wrench device for use in connecting or disconnecting an operating handle 'to or from the rollback of a latch mounted on the v inner side of a door, comprising a plate having parts disposed 1n angular relat1on to each other, one of said parts being adaptedl for insertion between the edge of upholstery covering the inner side of the door and the latch and uprovided With an open ended slot 'to receive the head of a fastening element rotatably connected with the handle shaft and projecting from the inner face of the latch to hold said element stationary While `the handle and rollback are rotated, the other of said parts projecting outwardly upon a flange of the latch case secured to the edge of the door and adapted for bearing contact at its end upon said flange, and a laterally projecting stud on said part in spaced relation to the end thereof adapted to be engaged through an opening in the latch case flange to guide said first named part to its applied position With respect to the fastening element. s

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

LEON o'rfrrneina.l 

